(Photo by Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection. EMMA.)
All Jane Austen Movies Ranked by Tomatometer
The latest: It’s the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen! We’re celebrating by adding more great adaptations to our list, including Emma., Fire Island, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life and more! Check out the list below!
Jane Austen books may have been around for centuries now, but in the movie world she’s as popular as she’s ever been. Austen’s mastery of irony combined with her scintillating insight and ability to mine for humor in relationships has made her novels resonate well past her lifetime and into the cinematic medium that would rise 100 years after her death.
The first significant (and surviving) adaptation was 1940’s Pride and Prejudice, starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier, with the screenplay co-written by Aldous Huxley. Pride has been adapted the most out of Austen’s books, including as the Bollywood-style Bride & Prejudice, and most recently in 2005 with Keira Knightley. Sense & Sensibility, Mansfield Park, and Lady Susan – a.k.a. Love & Friendship – have had one theatrical movie adaptation each. Meanwhile, Emma has had two direct adaptations: The 1996 version starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and this week’s Emma., starring Anya Taylor-Joy.
Before we see where Emma. (note the period) lands on our Tomatometer on Monday, we’ve ranked all Jane Austen movies by their score.
You won’t find the famous BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice in this list – we’re sticking strictly to theatrically releases. But we are opening it up to modernizations and looser adaptations, including Clueless (based on Emma), Material Girls and From Prada to Nada (both borne out of Sense and Sensibility), and Bridget Jones’s Diary (based on Pride and Prejudice). And because Austen fandom has evolved into a lifestyle and state of mind, we’re including movies likeAustenland, The Jane Austen Book Club, and Becoming Jane.
So, get ready to dive into a world of sharp tongues and full hearts with our guide to every Jane Austen movie, ranked by Tomatometer. —Alex Vo
Critics Consensus:Love & Friendship finds director Whit Stillman bringing his talents to bear on a Jane Austen adaptation -- with a thoroughly delightful period drama as the result.
Synopsis: In the 18th century, the seductive and manipulative Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale) uses devious tactics to win the heart of [More]
Critics Consensus: Brought to life by a tremendously talented cast, the breezily entertaining Fire Island proves there are still fresh ways to update Austen.
Synopsis: Set in the iconic Pines, Andrew Ahn's "Fire Island" is an unapologetic, modern-day rom-com showcasing a diverse, multicultural examination of [More]
Critics Consensus: Sure, it's another adaptation of cinema's fave Jane Austen novel, but key performances and a modern filmmaking sensibility make this familiar period piece fresh and enjoyable.
Synopsis: In this adaptation of Jane Austen's beloved novel, Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) lives with her mother, father and sisters in [More]
Critics Consensus: Other adaptations may do a better job of consistently capturing the spirit of the classic source material, but Jane Austen fans should still find a solid match in this Emma.
Synopsis: Beautiful, smart and wealthy, Emma Woodhouse navigates her way through misguided matches, romantic missteps and the challenges of growing up [More]
Critics Consensus:Emma marks an auspicious debut for writer-director Douglas McGrath, making the most of its Jane Austen source material -- and a charming performance from Gwyneth Paltrow.
Synopsis: In this adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel, pretty socialite Emma Woodhouse (Gwyneth Paltrow) entertains herself by playing matchmaker for [More]
Critics Consensus: A funny and clever reshaping of Emma, Clueless offers a soft satire that pokes as much fun at teen films as it does at the Beverly Hills glitterati.
Synopsis: Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pecking scale. [More]
Critics Consensus: A modern, literate and sweet riff on finding the kind of happiness that can't be found in a book, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life will make your day.
Synopsis: Agathe, hopelessly clumsy yet charming and full of contradictions, finds herself in desperate singlehood. Her dream is to experience love [More]
Critics Consensus: Well-acted and absorbing, Persuasion offers a loose Jane Austen adaptation that captures the essence of the author's timeless appeal.
Synopsis: As one of three daughters of the wealthy Sir Walter (Corin Redgrave), Anne (Amanda Root) is a privileged but lonely [More]
Critics Consensus: Though at times formulaic and sentimental, Jane Austen Book Club succeeds on the strength of its likable ensemble cast. Even those not familiar with Jane Austen's work may find much to enjoy this lighthearted romance.
Synopsis: Six Californians (Maria Bello, Amy Brenneman, Emily Blunt) form a book club devoted to studying the works of the 19th-century [More]
Critics Consensus: A colorful and energetic adaptation of Austen's classic.
Synopsis: With four beautiful daughters of marrying age, Manorama (Nadira Babbar) and Chaman Bakshi (Anupam Kher) frantically seek out the perfect [More]
Critics Consensus: Although Becoming Jane is a well-crafted period piece, it lacks fresh insight into the life and works of Jane Austen. The film focuses too much on wardrobe and not enough on Austen's achievements.
Synopsis: Though Jane Austen's (Anne Hathaway) financially strapped parents (James Cromwell, Julie Walters) expect her to marry the nephew of wealthy [More]
Critics Consensus:Pride and Prejudice and Zombies manages to wring a few fun moments out of its premise, but never delivers the thoroughly kooky mashup its title suggests.
Synopsis: In the 19th century, a mysterious plague turns the English countryside into a war zone. No one is safe as [More]
Critics Consensus: Despite an intriguing premise and fine performances from a talented cast, Austenland succumbs to outworn romcom cliches and slapstick gags.
Synopsis: Socially awkward Jane Hayes (Keri Russell) is obsessed with the works of Jane Austen and fantasizes about the character of [More]
Critics Consensus: Despite Dakota Johnson's best efforts, the chaotically anachronistic Persuasion fails to convince as a worthwhile Austen adaptation.
Synopsis: Living with her snobby family on the brink of bankruptcy, Anne Elliot is a nonconforming woman with modern sensibilities. When [More]
Critics Consensus: Plagued by paper-thin characterizations and a hackneyed script, Material Girls fails to live up to even the minimum standards of its genre.
Synopsis: Two sibling cosmetics heiresses (Hilary Duff, Haylie Duff) must grow up quickly when a company scandal leaves them penniless. Though [More]
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